James S. Bingham and Lavica Ann Dyches

The starting point for this Bingham line begins with James S. Bingham, who seems to have dropped out of the sky in 1850. That Year’s census in Williamson County, TX shows him to be living in the home of his father-in-law, William C. Dyches, with his wife Lavica Ann Dyches Bingham. The census reveals that he was born in Missouri. The 1880 Milam county census reveals that both of his parents were born in South Carolina.

Lavica Dyches BinghamJunction City Cemetery

There is a discrepancy is in the listed ages of both James and Lavica. The 1850 census shows his age as 21 and hers as 18, making their birth years approximately 1829 and 1832. But the 1880 census lists their ages as 54 and 51, which would make their birth years about 1826 and 1829. Lavica’s tombstone in Junction City, TX shows her birth date as December 08, 1831. Both the 1860 and 1870 censuses have James as 6 – 7 years older than Lavica, and this seems more likely to be correct. That would mean that James was probably about 25 when they were married.

In 1862, James and his brother-in-law, Elias P. Dyches enlisted in Flournoy’s 16th Texas infantry during the Civil War. Both men served in Company “A”. Mack David Bingham had been born the previous year, and John H. Bingham was born in June of 1962. It seems likely that he was already in Virginia at that time. After the war was over, he returned to Milam County and Nancy Ann Bingham was born the following July 4th in 1866.

The 1860 census has Nancy Woodard and her children living with James and Lavica. Her age is close to that of James; and I am convinced that she is a widowed sister. But I have had no luck in finding her anywhere else.

JAMES S. BINGHAM was born Abt. 1825 in Missouri, and died November 10, 1882 in Milam County, TX. He married LAVICA ANN DYCHES March 05, 1850 in Williamson County, TX, daughter of WILLIAM DYCHES and JANE (?). She was born December 08, 1831 in Washington Parish, LA, and died January 03, 1910 in Junction, Kimble County, TX. Certified copy of marriage license obtained at the courthouse in Williamson County, Georgetown, Texas, USA.

This photo was taken about 1908 probably in Williamson County. Although the quality is not great, it is a treasure. Seated at the bottom left in the foreground is Lavica Ann Dyches Bingham. This is the only photograph of her that is currently known of. Sitting in tree is Henderson Wilson, Belle’s brother. Standing next to him is Mack David Bingham. Top row left to right are Cafford, Tom and Zed Bingham. the two girls standing in fromt of them are Millie and Stella Bingham. On Belle’s lap are Ollie and James Neff Bingham. Standing next to her is Ethal Bingham; and the two on the right are Archie and Tempie Bingham.

I do not recall seeing any. I believe Phoebe is the Phoebe Jane Jewell that married a William Jefferson Bybee in Williamson County, TX in 1857 and died in 1916. Since she was only 13 years old in the 1850 census, I would guess that something had happened to her parents after they came to Texas and the Dyches family took her in. There is an entry on rootsweb.com that lists her parents as Levi Jewell and Winnie Brookshire. I have seen nothing on Edward Scruggs, but assumed he was a border.

Thanks for your post. I find this information on the Texas Binghams very interesting, but can’t find any family connection. On I 95 going from NC into SC there is a Bingham Exit. I turned off there once and found only an abandoned country store. There were prominent Binghams in NC dating back to Civil War times. My son Mark did his Doctorate at UNC Chapel Hill and had an office in Bingham Hall. One of the NC Binghams migrated to Louisville, KY and became prominent there.

Interesting. No, I have not ben able to trace anything back further than my gggrandfather who came from Missouri. I have found some Binghams that come from the same blood line by submitting DNA samples to familytreedna.com but we have not been able to find the common connection.